28 October '26
Brin d’Or de Haute Melen Z back on the Grand Prix podium in Mexico
© FEI - Rodrigo Ceceña
Whilst in Egypt all eyes were on the Longines Global Champions Tour in Cairo, there was also another five-star competition taking place in Mexico last weekend. This time, the competition in San Miguel de Allende was on the programme, and the gelding Brin d’Or de Haute Melen Z once again secured a place on the Grand Prix podium.
Just as in the previous weeks in Puebla and Coapexpan, the Grand Prix in San Miguel de Allende took place on Saturday afternoon, with a total of twenty-six riders and horses taking part. The 1.60m-high basic round proved to be a tough challenge, as only three pairs managed to qualify for the jump-off. One of those three contenders was the Australian rider Sharn Wordley and his 12-year-old gelding Brin d’Or de Haute Melen Z, a son of Bamako de Muze and Baloubet du Rouet, bred by Georges Trulemans. Wordley and Brin d’Or de Haute Melen Z, who had been crowned champions of the CSI4* Grand Prix in Puebla just last month, were keen to secure another victory, but a minor fault along the way meant they had to settle forsecond place this time.
Also in this Grand Prix, his Australian partner Lauren Balcomb once again put in a strong performance with her 15-year-old gelding Verdini d’Houtveld Z, the son of Verdi TN and Caretino, bred by Xavier Van Meckenbeke. Balcomb and Verdini d’Houtveld Z, who had secured silver in the CSI5* Grand Prix at Coapexpan just two weeks earlier, knocked down a rail in the first round, but a fast finishing time ultimately secured them a top-five placing.
On Saturday, local rider Andrea Vega Brockman secured a podium finish with the 15-year-old grey gelding Nabab’s Diamant vh Willebeke Z, a son of Nabab de Rêve and Diamant de Semilly, bred by Karel Decneudt. In the 1.50m main class, they, along with three others, progressed to the jump-off, where they securedthird place.
With this performance, Vega Brockman and Nabab’s Diamant vh Willebeke Z finished just one place ahead of their compatriot Alejano Leonardo Winkler and the 9-year-old stallion D Monator Z, a son of Dominator 2000 Z and SIEC Vigaro, bred by BV De Radstake in the Netherlands. Winkler and D Monator Z, who had already secured7th place on Thursday in the 1.45mclass on Thursday, managed to clock the winning time of 33.65 seconds, but in their haste they also knocked two bars off the crossbar.
On the opening day on Thursday, the Mexican rider Daniel Attie Moscana made his mark with the 11-year-old grey mare Candy Du Faurieu Z, a daughter of Cassus 2 and Vondel van het Hendrixhof, bred by Serge Lecrercq. They competed in the 1.45m class, where they securedsecond place after two clear rounds.
Two-Star Competition
Alongside this five-star competition, there were also two-star show jumping events in San Miguel de Allende, and a number of Z-class horses put in fine performances. For instance, in Sunday’s CSI2* Grand Prix, Argentine rider Juan Bautista Pidutti Hortas and the 9-year-old chestnut stallion Champion de Bo Z (Comme Il Faut x Coupe de Coeur), bred by Philippe Bormans, secured a top-five finish. The pair, who had already started their competition on Thursday with a6th-place finish in the 1.40m class, clocked the fastest time of 36.75 seconds in a ten-horse jump-off, but a small fault along the way ultimately saw them finish in5th place.
Finally, during that 1.40m class on Thursday, the Mexican rider Gonzalo Azcarraga also secured a top placing with the 10-year-old stallion King Of China Hero Z (Kassander van ’t Roosakker Z x Chin Chin – breeder: Jérôme Guery & Luc Henry). They remained faultless in both thefirst andsecond phases, securing an impressivesecond place as the final result.